House Bill 2, Voter ID and coal ash cleanups are headline-grabbing issues in the governor’s race. Roads? Not so much. But the McCrory administration is touting success in changing the way North Carolina builds roads.

A large crowd rallied Saturday against the presence of the Confederate flag on the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse, calling it a “symbol of hate.” Several people spoke at the rally, which lasted more than an hour. The crowd chanted "take it down" and ended the rally by singing "We Shall Overcome." The rally came three days after the shooting deaths of nine people in a massacre at the black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.

Those who regularly battle traffic on the southern stretch of I-485 have some good news. The interstate will grow to three lanes in each direction by the end of 2015. That’s a full year ahead of schedule.

The southern section of I-485 from I-77 to Rea Road can be a headache at rush hour. Tim Timmerman knows it well since he lives nearby.